


The Art of Parabatai-Sitting

by shirasade



Series: Writer's Month 2020 [19]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Eventual Relationships, F/F, F/M, Future Fic, M/M, Multi, POV Isabelle Lightwood, Parabatai, Past Relationship(s), Polyamory, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25990555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shirasade/pseuds/shirasade
Summary: Seeing her big brother throw a full-blown trantrum, including kicking and screaming, was definitely not something Isabelle had expected to see, even if he was currently 4 years old."Want Jace! Jaaaace!!!" Alec's small fists were flying, and he was wriggling his body like a very determined worm, making it hard for Izzy to keep a hold of him. "Give me back my Jace!"For the prompt: deaging
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland, Clary Fray/Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood, Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood
Series: Writer's Month 2020 [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859722
Comments: 2
Kudos: 66
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	The Art of Parabatai-Sitting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MorganD](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganD/gifts).



> For Morgan, who requested Jalec kidfic again - hope you enjoy this one, too, despite Izzy taking center stage. ;)

In Izzy's memory her big brother had always been just that - the one who looked out for her, overly protective and overly serious, as if the weight of the world (or more likely the weight of their mother's expectations) rested heavily on his shoulders despite being just a boy. So seeing him throw a full-blown trantrum, including kicking and screaming, was definitely not something she'd expected to see, even if he was currently 4 years old.

"Want Jace! Jaaaace!!!" Alec's small fists were flying, and he was wriggling his body like a very determined worm, making it hard for Izzy to keep a hold of him. "Give me back my Jace!"

Immobilizing her brother by way of a tight hug, Izzy stroked a calming hand down his back. "Jace is just in the other room. He'll be back as soon as the Silent Brothers made sure he's alright."

"Don't care. Want Jace now," Alec declared mulishly but allowed himself to be held, which Izzy took as a win. Ever since the dust from a fight with a rebel warlock cleared and left Jace and Alec standing with their now too-big clothing pooling around them, it had proven almost impossible to keep them still unless they were touching each other. Brother Zachariah posited it had to do with the parabatai bond, which obviously had not been meant to connect the souls of four-year-olds. 

The fact that all of their runes still worked had definitely made everyone's life that much more difficult, because no one should have to fetch two howling boys from the top of a 20-foot pillar they'd managed to climb but were now afraid to come down from. Izzy had never been more grateful for Clary's presence, because she wasn't sure she'd be able to cope with both of her brothers by herself. Sure, Simon had also volunteered, but neither Jace nor Alec seemed willing to do anything he asked of them - rather the opposite, making it a game to escape him whenever possible. Also, as much as Izzy loved her boyfriend, he wasn't treating the whole situation with the seriousness she felt was warranted, finding it highly amusing. He kept taking out his cell to "document the shenanigans for future blackmail purposes."

Therefore Simon had now been sent out to buy clothes in the proper size as well as some toys that Izzy hoped against hope would be more popular than the steles and sharp weapons Jace and Alec somehow kept getting their little hands on, when Clary appeared from the infirmary with a crying Jace in tow. The two women exchanged smiles of sheer relief when the tears stopped the moment the two boys caught sight of each other. 

Tearing himself out of Izzy's embrace with surprising strength, Alec met Jace halfway, and they immediately hugged each other. Grinning triumphantly, Jace announced, "Alec hugs the best," sticking his tongue out at Clary as he did so. Clary shook her head in bemusement and settled down next to Izzy. By now they knew from experience that they had about five minutes before hugs and holding hands weren't enough anymore and some more mischief was bound to happen.

"Apparently my hugs are sub-par," Clary lamented with a twinkle in her eyes and rested her head against Izzy's shoulder. "I told him that I like your hugs better, too, because parabatai hugs are vastly superior to boyfriend hugs."

"Let's hope grown-up Jace doesn't remember that," giggled Izzy and pressed a kiss to the top of Clary's head. "I mean, you're absolutely right, of course, but don't tell Simon."

They shared a laugh, and Izzy felt the familiar warmth pass between them. She thanked the Angel every day that they got Clary back, so she could experience this incredible bond with her. Ever since they became parabatai, Izzy finally truly understood how Jace and Alec must have felt during the many horrible ordeals they went through in recent years. She, too, would risk everything when it came to Clary, up to and including her relationship with Simon. She wasn't even all that surprised anymore that Magnus and Alec had decided that their relationship, as wonderful as it had been, had run its course. 

Luckily Simon loved Clary almost as much as Izzy did, and therefore shared or at least understood her priorities. If they also shared a certain desire to include Clary in... other, more physical ways and were almost sure that Clary felt it, too - well, that was something they couldn't really do anything about. What they had was more than enough.

While Izzy's thoughts followed those well-trodded paths, Alec and Jace had begun an energetic game of Tag that ended with Jace tackling Alec and peppering his face with kisses. In between he ordered firmly, "Not allowed to run away from me!"

"Won't," Alec promised solemnly. "Love you the most."

With that the two little boys wandered off hand-in-hand, a bemused Izzy and Clary following them until they reached Alec's room. There, Jace and Alec clambered up onto the bed and curled around each other, resembling nothing more than two puppies. Apparently even four-year-olds got tired eventually. However, even while falling asleep they continued holding hands, as if someone might separate them if they weren't careful.

"Now that's new." Raising an eyebrow, Izzy looked at Clary, who was watching the scene with a strange expression, a mix of fondness, acceptance and regret.

Meeting her parabatai's gaze, Clary cocked her head and mused, "Not really..." 

Smiling ruefully at Izzy, she explained, "In the infirmary, when we were talking about hugs, Jace told me that Alec's hugs were still better than yours, because he wasn't only his parabatai, he was also his boyfriend."

"Oh, come on, that's just because right now, Alec is his world. When he's back to normal, he'll remember-"

"I'm not so sure. I mean, he'll remember that we're supposed to be together, but something's been missing for a while now," Clary interrupted Izzy with a soft shake of her head. She leaned against her, and Izzy immediately wrapped an arm around her. "Ever since I came back, if I'm honest, it just got more obvious when Alec returned from Idris. And it's not just Jace either, it's me, too."

She was rather pointedly not meeting Izzy's eyes, fixing her gaze instead on the two boys sleeping so peacefully, as if they hadn't been wreaking havoc around the Institute all day. Izzy couldn't remember the last time Alec had looked so calm, so content. Redirecting her attention back to her parabatai, she pulled Clary closer to her. "Do you think you'll work it out?"

"Truthfully, Iz? I'm not sure I want it to." She could feel Clary's sigh against her neck as the redhead nestled comfortably into her arms. Izzy firmly squashed the by now familiar pang of desire. "It feels like Jace and I... our relationship is a chapter that's closed, over. I'll always love him, but maybe-" She hesitated, something like a question in her green eyes, "-maybe it's time for a new chapter to begin."

Izzy's heart beat so hard, she was certain Clary would be able to hear it even if they hadn't been connected by their bond, which was now brimming with something new, something that set Izzy's pulse racing. Taking a steadying breath, she met Clary's troubled gaze as firmly as she could. "If that's true, I'll be here. Me and Simon both. You know that, right?"

A shy smile blossomed on Clary's lips as she nodded, and Izzy had to clamp down the urge to find out if it tasted as sweet as it looked. Instead she looked over her parabatai's shoulder at Jace and Alec, who were by now so entwined, it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. Which was not all that different from normal, Izzy pondered, except in this state they didn't stop themselves from expressing it physically. 

Turning back to her parabatai, she allowed all of her feelings to show, both in her smile and in their bond, and was rewarded with the lovely sight of Clary blushing. She didn't look away, though, and a silent promise passed between them. Out loud, Izzy said with a nod towards her brothers, "There's no rush. Let's wait until these two are back to normal and see what happens. I mean, back to what passes as normal for Alec and Jace."

"Agreed. Right now, though, I'm afraid our break is over." Clary laughed, pointing at the two little boys, who were in the process of waking up simultaneously, doubtlessly already full of mischief again. The tension between the two women dissipated easily, and they readied themselves for another round of parabatai-sitting. Grinning, Izzy only hoped that two against two would be enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the [prompt list](https://shirasade.tumblr.com/post/625231631577399296/hello-august-hello-writersmonth-im-still) for this year's Writer's Month. Feel free to drop me a number and a ship, and I'll see if I get inspired.


End file.
